Yelp suspends reviews for PA McDonald’s after Trump campaign visit

[Karah Rucker]

A MCDONALD’S IN PENNSYLVANIA IS IN THE SPOTLIGHT AFTER A VISIT FROM FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, WHO TOOK A TURN WORKING THE FRY STATION OVER THE WEEKEND AS PART OF A CAMPAIGN STOP. IT SPARKED A WAVE OF HIGHLY POLITICIZED REVIEWS ON THE RESTAURANT’S YELP PAGE, CAUSING THE PLATFORM TO TEMPORARILY DISABLE COMMENTS.

TRUMP WAS SEEN WORKING THE FRY STATIONS AND HANDING OUT FOOD AT THE MCDONALD’S FRANCHISE IN FEASTERVILLE. THE EVENT WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC, AND ONLY THOSE SCREENED BY SECRET SERVICE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THEIR ORDERS. BUT THAT DIDN’T STOP AN INFLUX OF OPINIONS FROM FLOODING THE MCDONALD’S YELP PAGE.

YELP QUICKLY FLAGGED THE REVIEWS AS POTENTIALLY FAKE AND ISSUED A NOTICE ON THE PAGE, EXPLAINING THE SITUATION. THE COMPANY STATED, “THIS BUSINESS RECENTLY RECEIVED INCREASED PUBLIC ATTENTION, WHICH OFTEN MEANS PEOPLE COME TO THIS PAGE TO POST THEIR VIEWS ON THE NEWS… WE’VE TEMPORARILY DISABLED THE POSTING OF CONTENT TO THIS PAGE….”

SOME OF THE REVIEWS POSTED BEFORE THE PAGE WAS LOCKED CAN STILL BE SEEN… WITH ONE REVIEW STATING,
“I THOUGHT YOU WERE BIPARTISAN. VERY DISAPPOINTED.”

ANOTHER REVIEWER WROTE:

“THERE WAS SOME SORT OF ORANGE GOO DRIPPED ON OUR FRIES… THE INCOHERENT OLD GUY WORKING THE WINDOW WAS SLURRING HIS WORDS AND REFUSED TO GIVE US OUR CHANGE… HE SAID HE ALREADY GAVE IT TO ME… BUT I COULD SEE IT STICKING OUT OF HIS POCKET.” 

AND MANY OTHERS HAD QUIPS LIKE:

“THE FRIES WERE TOO SALTY AS IF SOMEONE WHO LOST A MAJOR ELECTION HAD BEEN CRYING OVER THEM FOR AN HOUR.”

BUT NOT ALL THE REVIEWS WERE NEGATIVE. A HANDFUL OF SUPPORTERS GAVE FIVE-STAR RATINGS, PRAISING THE LOCATION FOR THEIR STELLAR NEW ‘SENIOR HIRE.’ ONE USER EVEN PRAISED THE VISIT, SAYING, “THE BEST MCDONALDS I’VE EVER BEEN TO IN 47 YEARS. THE OLDER EMPLOYEE WAS EXTREMELY NICE. MAKE MCDONALDS GREAT AGAIN! BRING BACK THE DOLLAR MENU!”

A TRUMP CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON RESPONDED TO THE BACKLASH, SHIFTING BLAME TO VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AND HER SUPPORTERS, ACCUSING THEM OF TRYING TO “TERRORIZE A FRANCHISEE OWNER OF A GREAT AMERICAN ESTABLISHMENT.”

THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME TRUMP HAS BEEN THE TARGET OF REVIEW BOMBING CAMPAIGNS. HIS HOTEL IN WASHINGTON D.C. RECEIVED SIMILAR TREATMENT IN 2018 AFTER CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS ON IMMIGRATION.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M KARAH RUCKER.